The anticipated showdown never materialised after the Paralympian was suddenly axed from ITV show The Agenda

Cowardly George Osborne could have faced a rough ride as he was lined up for a TV debate with disabled campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

But the anticipated showdown never materialised – after she was suddenly axed from the show.

And last night sources on ITV’s The Agenda claimed the former wheelchair racer, who won 11 Paralympic gold medals over five Games, got the chop because the Chancellor was scared she would attack his savage benefit cuts.

An insider said: “He did not want to be hauled over the coals on the Government’s disability changes. So she was dumped from the line-up.”

Baroness Tanni, 43, who sits as an independent in the Lords, said yesterday: “I am not sure what to say about Mr Osborne – I am always quite reasonable when it comes to the changes in welfare, and any debate.

“It is up to him whether he wants to appear with me or not. But I am not party political and I think it’s a shame if he did not want to have a proper debate. Having open healthy discussion is positive.”

Tanni, a mother of one who lives in Stockton-on-Tees, told how her office got a call to say she was being dropped as a guest, without explanation.

She said: “We got a call about two days beforehand to say they did not want me on after all. They gave no reason, although that does happen sometimes with TV appearances.

“I always try to be reasonable in my discussions and remain balanced about welfare and the changes.

“I don’t think that I give anyone a hard time.”

She said the Chancellor’s welfare changes were a major concern for the disabled – especially the assessments of benefit needs by Department for Work and Pensions appointed medics.

She revealed: “One woman with kidney failure started bleeding during her interview, and they told her if she left, they’d take her benefits away.”

In the end, the baroness was replaced on the TV show by Rowan Pelling, former editor of the Erotic Review.

PA

Axed: Baroness Tanni

And Mr Osborne took the opportunity to talk about the “fairness” of Tory policy.

The Chancellor is said to be close to Tom Bradby, who hosted the debate which went out on February 18.

The revelation about the hasty reshuffle on the show comes after we told how Mr Osborne was criticised for allowing his chauffeur to ignore disabled parking signs at an M4 service station near Newport, Gwent, on Wednesday.

The next day we revealed how MS sufferer Fiona McInnes and husband Roger saw him do the same thing on a visit to an art gallery last year.

Baroness Tanni said our stories had highlighted an “infuriating” national problem.

She added: “There will be a huge furore around the picture of him in the disabled parking bay, but it does not change. I really get very annoyed, it is about lack of respect. I don’t need to be near a door but need room to get my chair out. Every time I go to a car park there is at least one person parking where they should not.

“You never see it in America – they have a very different attitude there.”

A spokesman for The Agenda last night said: “We cancelled Tanni Grey-Thompson and two others for a variety of editorial reasons – these include the topic selection, range of views and chemistry between the guests.”

It stressed Baroness Tanni was one of two women who were dropped.

They insisted Rowan Pelling was not a “straight replacement”.

And they added: “All editorial decisions are entirely made by the show’s production team including guest selection.”

Neither Mr Osborne nor his team were available for comment last night.